All eyes on the UUK conference which gets underway today, with tough questions on the agenda. Do universities want to take more students? Can they afford to? Should the government cough up, or is it the taxpayer's turn to foot the bill? And shouldn't the government stop frightening off all those nice fee-paying foreign students with draconian visa rules? The bottom line for new supremo Steve Smith is simple: no more dosh, no extra students.

Report card

Photograph: Linda Nylind Linda Nylind/Guardian

Reinventing science Never mind health and safety, Lord Drayson's the boss now, and he wants kids to get their hands dirty. 'What inspires young people is the chance to do hands-on experiments,' he insists.

What you said

'As one who deals with things like codes of conduct, breaches of the same etc, I can say that this code, now bear with me while I get all technical… is a sack of bollocks.I can't wait for my first brief (whether prosecuting or defending) concerning a fashionable geography teacher, a non-sadistic sports master or an English teacher that didn't ascribe to their particular stereotype.As a member of the Bar, what I do in private is simply that, private. If I don't commit an offence and am not found liable in a civil court the Bar Council can go jump.One does have to ask: what pressing issue was this code brought into solve? Being true to my moniker, I'd say a cabinet minister's relative or friend required a job, as this is the only explanation that makes sense.'

A more succinct summary of readers' views came by way of a poll on whether teachers should be allowed to get drunk on weekends. Bottoms up!

Quote of the week

Photograph: PR

Kristen Stewart, 19-year-old star of huge cult film Twilight, says she's glad she quit school early to make movies (she was 12 when she started).

'I couldn't relate to kids my own age. They are mean and don't give you any chance. When I was there, I was never the type of girl to be walking around talking about acting, so I didn't get a whole lot of hassle for that, until someone found out, until someone saw some old movie, and realised. I was trying to play it down, but I definitely got, Oh, she's such a bitch. They'd never spoken to me, but instantly they were, like, You are so rude. I am not rude.'